More than half of breast cancer patients may skip medication

More than 50% of women taking
medication for breast cancer have either forgotten to take their drugs
or have
chosen not to do so at some point during their treatment, according
to new research.

The study ? published in next month's European Journal
of Cancer - found that while most women who skipped their medication
forgot to take it, around one in six of the women made a deliberate
decision not to take their treatment. Reasons for not taking medication
include finding tablets hard to swallow, difficulty in coping with
side-effects such as hot flushes or finding medication a constant reminder
of their illness.

The Cancer Research UK team concluded that clear communication about
the advantages and disadvantages of treatments may help patients overcome
these obstacles. The researchers are uncertain how serious not taking
a full course of medication could be in terms of the cancer returning.

Treatment for breast cancer usually involves a combination of surgery,
radiotherapy and chemotherapy, often followed by a daily hormone tablet
or monthly injection for up to five years. Researchers wanted to know
how well women adhered to their follow up treatment.

One to one interviews were held with 131 women who were at least two
years past their initial breast cancer diagnosis and currently receiving
medication. Researchers asked each woman ?how often do you forget
to take your tablets?”and then ?how often do you choose
not to take your medication?”For both questions the women were
given the same responses to choose from - never, occasionally, sometimes,
quite often or very often.

Seventy-two women said there were times when they didn't take
their medication. Of these women, 12 said there were times when they
intentionally did not take the tablet. The majority of all the women
not taking their medication - 60 or around 83% - said it was
because they forgot.

Lead author Louise Atkins, based at Cancer Research UK's Psychosocial
Oncology Group at the Brighton and Sussex Medical School University
of Sussex, said:

“These results confirm that some women choose
not to take their breast cancer medication. The findings are concerning
because not taking a full course of medication could impact on how
effective a treatment will be. Reasons for not taking medication include
difficulty swallowing tablets and the side effects of medication. If
we can understand more about the reasons why some women don't
take their medication then we'll be in a better position to help
women overcome these difficulties.?

Professor John Toy, medical director at Cancer Research UK, said:

“It
is vital that women with breast cancer do not deny themselves the chance
of the maximum possible benefit from their medication. It is important
that women are as well informed as possible about both the benefits
and side effects of their medication and so know what to expect. Clear
communication can help to ensure that doctors are better informed about
how women are dealing with their treatment so as to help reduce any
negative impact that treatments might have.?

News
is included on the IvyRose website to inform visitors about current health issues,
but not to endorse any particular view or activity. Any views expressed in the
article above are not necessarily those of IvyRose Ltd.. Material in this news
item was released by Cancer Research UK on 23 August 2006
and may have been edited (e.g. in style, length, and/or for ease of understanding
by our international readers) for inclusion here. For further information, please
visit their website.